The final countdown

     Its almost 10:30 pm in Dar es Salaam, and the seven of us are sitting on the bed in Caitlin and Paul's hotel room, waiting for 1 am when we will head to the airport and begin our trip home.  Its been a successful final few days here in Tanzania, and getting ready to leave is a bit surreal. Lets recap:
     We arrived in Dar around noon on Monday, headed to our hotel and got settled in before heading out to find lunch. The place where we had originally intended to eat was closed for the month (thanks for nothing, Ramadan) so after lots of walking around the bus streets we ended up in a tea room where all they served was goat curry. Fun. It was definitely an authentic experience, to say the least. After lunch we walked back to the hotel and relaxed until our driver came to take us to a local mall for some window shopping and dinner. There wasn't much to see in the mall, but dinner at a fun fish place was the source of good food, fun American 80's power ballads and a bathroom with a real toilet (no paper but you take what you can get). A quick pit stop for dessert was followed by another hole in the wall market, then we all came back to the hotel for a good night's sleep.
     Yesterday we drove about 2 hours away to the town of Bagamoyo.  A former trading center and place of deportation for African slaves on their way to the middle east, it later became the site of the first Catholic mission in East Africa.  We toured around the old town for a while, had lunch at a restaurant playing American music videos (I love Wiz Khalifa) and stopped to look at some paintings at a shop owned by our tour guide's friend. The highlight of the day for me was probably seeing the Cross Cultural Solutions homebase in Bagamoyo, and meeting three volunteers staying and working there. CCS is the organization I went with to Ghana last spring, and I definitely had a positive experience. It was fun to meet other people from the states, and to hear a little about what they're doing in Tanzania.
     Today we decided to go to the beach, so we packed up our rooms after breakfast, checked out of the hotel (except for one room- hence the crowded bed scenario) and headed off to the White Sands Resort. A pit stop for a loaf of bread, peanut butter and some fresh fruit gave us our lunch, and we spent the rest of the day lounging in the sand and swimming in the Indian Ocean. It wasn't as hot as I would've liked, but at least I wont be sitting sunburned on a plane for 20+ hours. We showered and had dinner back at the hotel, then our last class with Paul. We're currently getting our Olympics fix (its not swimming so I dont really care) and waiting for our driver. Just over 25 hours (ignoring time zones because thats just confusing) and I'll be home in Pittsburgh!    

Picture Attempt: Take 2

 The group at the Equator

 Our present!

 My loves Miriam and Ednis

 Radio FADECO

 Some village children

 Off on safari!

 My favorites

 Lots and lots of zebras

Close encounter with a "tembo"

Dear Dad

     If you've been following my blog for long you'll remember my Mom's last words in the airport were reminding me that I had said it would be a miracle if I made it on this trip. (If you dont know what I'm talking about, read my airport ramblings) Well my Dad, always the profound one in the family, used his final moments to tell me that anytime I saw an antelope to think of him. As random as this seemed at the time, I can now say I thought about him a lot these past few days! 

 

     So much has happened since Tuesday I hardly know where to begin. Leaving Misha House and Karagwe was bittersweet, and saying goodbye to Egbert and the staff was hard for all of us. We got on the road early Wednesday and made the 2 hour, only semi-paved drive to Bukoba where we would spend the day sitting on the beach of Lake Victoria. An overnight ferry ride across the lake later, we arrived in Mwanza and were greeted by the sunrise and James, our safari driver. We got breakfast at this great restaurant, stopped to look at the natural rock formations there in town, and made our way to Serengeti Park to begin our safari adventure.

     IT WAS SO COOL. We started a little slow- lots of antelope (enter Dad) and zebras but little else. But don't feel too bad for us! Before long there were giraffes (my favorite), monkeys, lions, buffalo, wildebeest, hippos, birds and all kinds of animals all around us. The best was probably when a herd (herd? pack? bunch?) of elephants crossed right in front of us- we got some great pictures.  We drove around till about 7, then headed into the campsite. Our tents were all set up and we were met by our chef for the night, Emanuel.  A yummy dinner and lots of chai later we all headed to bed. We woke up around 5:30 and went for a sunrise game drive before breakfast- the highlight of which being the hyenas we stumbled upon right as the sun came up. They were even laughing, a sound we're pretty sure we heard overnight outside our tents too. Emanuel made us great breakfast and then we packed up the car to head out. A flat tire and few hours later, we left the park and were on our way to Arusha.

     Our six and half-ish hour drive took us through the Maasai plains and past a crater considered the Cradle of Life before getting us to Arusha around 7:30. There were some room issues to resolve before a late dinner at our hotel and heading to bed. This morning we slept in a bit (8:30 is sleeping in, right?) Then headed to the market for some shopping. Haggling with the store owners reminded me a lot of the Turkish Bazaar, and the call to prayer echoing from the nearby mosques makes it even more like Istanbul. We have our last class with Caitlin this afternoon, then one more day here before moving on to Dar on Monday. I'm looking forward to the rest of the adventure but also getting antsy to be home! 

Hello, Goodbye

Today we're saying goodbye to FADECO, Roida Café, Egbert, Fahim,
Morris, and Karagwe in general. Tomorrow we'll begin our hellos to
Bukoba, an overnight ferry ride to Mwanza, the start of the safari
overnight adventure, the Maasai markets in Arusha, and a flight to Dar
es Salaam. There has been unrest and rioting in Zanzibar after a
ferryboat sank last week, so at the warnings of the State Department
we've cut that part of our trip. We're all pretty bummed we wont get
the chance to lay on the gorgeous beach, but an extra day in each
Arusha and Dar will be fun too. Just about one week until we head
home!



And yes, Lo/Marie/Ashtyn/Jill the Beatles reference is for you :)

Here comes the bride (don't worry, not me!)

What do you get when a bad 80s style prom meets My Big Fat Greek
Wedding meets a Baptist revival meets… I don't even know? If you
guessed a Tanzanian wedding ceremony, email me and maybe I'll bring
you some great present from the market today. (Maybe.) The past few
days have been a flurry of research with FADECO, working on class
assignments and wedding festivities, so please excuse the lack of blog
posts. I'll try to recap as thoroughly, and yet succinctly, as
possible.
Thursday we met with the chairperson of the district's albino
community, and spent the morning interviewing him about the current
state of relations between albinos and the rest of the population.
(And using FADECO's free wifi, but that's besides the point) There is
a history of violent attacks and grave robberies on albinos, as witch
doctors claim their limbs and other body parts can bring economic
success or health benefits to the one who possesses them. It was sad
to hear him talk, and say he was even scared to come to town to meet
with us, and we all left wondering what could be done to improve the
situation in the future.
After lunch we had class, and then headed to town for the second (but
the first we attended) of the wedding related ceremonies. The "send
off" is an important event in the life of the couple as well as the
town, as it celebrates the bride leaving her family and community and
joining those of the groom. Its an hours long event, including a
honking, cheering, waving parade through town, a dinner (served at
like, 11 pm) and the presentation of different gifts to and from both
of the families. The outfits are ridiculous, the vehicles are
dangerous, and loud and high-pitched cheers of "i-ei-ei-ei-ei-ei!"
punctuate the entire process. I was originally supposed to ride
standing in the back of a pick up truck with about 20 cheering women
in shiny blue evening gowns, but Caitlin and Paul quickly vetoed that
plan as too dangerous so I ended up sitting 5 across in the back of a
car. After parading through town we ended up at a reception hall
where we would spend the rest of the night dancing, eating and
singing/laughing along with the random Mariah Carey and Enrique
Iglasias.
Friday morning we visited another secondary school, this one far
outside of town and one of the best in the region. We met with the
headmaster (who said we should know Swahili but didn't know English
enough to tell us) and a class of students who were all really nice.
In the afternoon we went up for the wedding, which was actually a lot
like the send off but with an hour and a half church service- all in
Swahili but officiated by an Austrian priest? We didn't get home until
after midnight so we've all been dragging a bit today. This morning we
shopped in the local market and in the neighboring village, and the
rest of the day is ours to relax before visiting our friend Fahim's
farm and having Paul's class tonight. Tomorrow we'll wash clothes in
the morning and hike in the afternoon. We're all enjoying our last few
days here, but excited to head out on Wednesday for the safari and
last leg of the trip!

Give em what you got

      Today I was given a chicken.

     I guess if you really want to be specific its a rooster, but when you’re being handed a mess of flapping feathers you’re not too concerned with technicalities.  We started the morning by getting picked to go to a nearby village and talk to people who have been affected by the radio FADECO outreach programs. It was really interesting to hear some of the stories from women who have been to Dar es Salaam and received surgeries because of the work being done by this group.  After some Q&A time they announced that they had gifts for the visitors, and a group of women stepped forward carrying buckets of beans, peanuts, and- you guessed it- a rooster. Seeing as it would be rude to refuse a gift we now have yet another voice to add to our all night symphony around here. (or dinner?)  We also met a woman who has been living in the village since having her surgery, but is actually from a town a few kilometers away. Her previous condition had left her pretty isolated from her community and she didn’t have the 5,000 Tanzanian schillings (1,580 TZS= 1 USD) it would take to get back home, so Courtney and I pitched in to give it to her. She was really grateful and it felt good to make some kind of difference in her life.  

     Today marks two weeks left for our time here and I know it will fly by. To commemorate the occasion (and because I don’t feel like writing complete sentences) here are some lists:

5 things I’m excited for:

- attending a Tanzanian wedding Friday

- going on the 2 day overnight safari

- relaxing on the beach at Zanzibar

- touring a spice plantation in Stonetown

- shopping in the Massai market

4 things I miss at home:

- toilets. Enough said.  

- naps in the hammock

- understanding people when they talk

- real pillows

3 things you wouldn’t expect:

- we’re often kinda cold here (evening 50-60s aren’t uncommon- how are the 100s, DC?)

- all our coffee is instant (Tanzania has amazing coffee and we’re here drinking Nestea??)

- we have hot showers (even though the water pressure stinks)

2 things I wont miss from here:

- the dust covering everything

- rice and beans twice a day

1 thing I will miss from here:

-

     That last one is to be continued, I think. Who knows what I will do and see and discover in the next two weeks that will really make me miss it once I’m home? I’m excited to find out- and I’ll of course left you know!  

Pictures or it didnt happen

Seeing as its the middle of the night back at home I hope you are all sound asleep (and not being woken up at all hours by roosters...) On another note, here are some pictures for your enjoyment! (and by some pictures I mean one. This internet stinks.) Happy birthday to Georgie, my big in DG, and Delphine, the Rwandan girl I sponsor through World Vision.

"Theres no moose in Tanzania?!?"

Ok so first off let me say my day has officially been made by
receiving the e-vite to Professor Slate's wedding in September-
applications are now open to be my +1 on September 8. Also, I love
how the location stamp when I post on facebook says "Tanzania," leave
it to technology to make things more real.

The past few days have been good, and I'm finally starting to
fall into the rhythm of life here in Karagwe. I ended up not going to
the disco Friday, but we started the evening with a game comprised of
rounds of catch phrase, charades, one word, and pictionary that was a
ton of fun. All seven of us played with two locals, so it was
Caitlin's job to translate our words (jelly bean, The Lion King,
fart...) into Swahili so everyone could understand. Some words,
however, didnt exactly work- hence today's post title. Needless to say
it was a ton of fun and everyone ended up laughing the entire time.
Plus, my team won.

Saturday was a very long day, as we headed out to visit disabled
community members in 3 villages over 2 hours away. We also met a woman
who has been a missionary here in Tanzania for the last 25 years. The
cramped car ride was bumpy and dust filled, and we worked straight
through lunch so we were all a little cranky, but it was great to meet
some people who had been helped (or would be soon) through the work of
FADECO radio (the organization we're working with... did I mention
that?). One of the best success stories was a woman who had just
returned from fistula surgery in Dar es Salaam. We also got a chance
to play with the village kids, which is always my favorite time.

Yesterday we went to church (2 solid hours of hard wooden benches
and everything swahili) and dinner at the home of a local teacher,
Rael. It was great to be able to relax in her house, play with her
kids, eat fantastic local cooking and do some drumming and dancing.
Today we worked with FADECO in the morning and are getting ready now
to visit the closest secondary school.

I've been a little more homesick than I expected but feeling
better each day. I can't wait for next week when we leave to go on the
safari adventure, to the masaai markets and Dar. We'll be home (and
back to real toilets instead of pit latrines) before you know it!!

Bananas, Borders and Breakdowns

     This post will be brief- I'm sitting in the Karagwe library and (lets be honest) Facebook and gmail have used up most of my half hour of internet time.

     We ended up waiting until yesterday morning to leave so we could to get Jade's bag before heading to Tanzania, so we got into Karagwe and Misha Guest House around 6:30 last night. It was a long day of travel that included 50 miles on an unpaved dirt road, running out of gas and sending our driver on the back of a passing motorcycle to get more, lunch of a deliciously greasy and filling Ugandan street food called "rolex" (rolexes? rolecii? whats the plural of rolex??) and a bunch of bananas each the size of my pinky. We also made the quick stop at the equator for the quintessential tourist pictures straddling the two hemispheres (pictures to follow soon!) where I definitely had a Walk to Remember moment before I realized it wasn't exactly a border...

     Today we walked around town and met lots of people, including that partners at 3 of the local NGOs with which Amizade works. We will be starting our placement tomorrow (hopefully) and we're looking forward to that. A student last semester helped start and initiative that got disabled members of the community help, in whatever capacity it was they needed, and has been responsible for people getting treatment as far away as Dar es Salaam.  We're going to be continuing the job- going out with translators and interviewing people about the services they received, how well they've been able to reconnect in the community, etc. It should be interesting and really rewarding to go meet so many people and see how our work is changing their lives.

     Ok, got to run- just had our first class with Caitlin, now back to Misha for dinner, brought every day by Eggbert, and on to the disco tonight!  

Good Morning at the Verona Hotel

Jambo from Kampala

     Well thank goodness for wifi (and for Caitlin telling us all the password so we didn't each have to buy it)-- just some of life's little pleasures in downtown Kampala, Uganda. Between skipping Monday and getting to bed at 6 am this morning I'm not quite myself, but luckily the jet lag isn't too bad. Lets do a quick recap of the last few days...

     Courtney and I met up with Jade just before boarding the flight to Istanbul (and post my airport sushi and cappuccino induced ramblings) and the three of us sat pretty much together on board. We all tried to sleep as much as possible, but with individualized tv screens and tons of movie/show options we had little success. I ended up watching 'Crazy, Stupid Love' (mmm Ryan Gosling), an episode of 'Lie to Me,' and a documentary about Michael Phelps. Love. I managed to sleep some though, and woke up feeling drowsy and with my hand/wrist numb and weak. I thought it would go away, but so far (and over 24 hours later) no luck. You should see me typing right now. Really. Anybody with medical knowledge and ideas of what it is/what to do...

     We had a 2 hour layover in Istanbul, the highlights of which include $5 cups of coffee, $7 fries/coke, and lugging all our stuff gate to gate as they changed where we met our plane.  I had a window seat for the flight which made napping much easier, so I was able to get some sleep both before and after our inflight dinner. Turkish Airlines doesnt have the best food- despite having a chef on board complete with white coat and hat. I digress. We got into Kigali airport around 1:15 am and then Entebbe close to 3. We cleared customs, got our visas and went to baggage claim with the rest of the flight. The soon-to-be-very-unhappy rest of the flight.

     'Why were they unhappy?' you may ask. Well, because over half of the luggage meant to be on board was left on the runway in Istanbul, and the next flight to Uganda isnt scheduled until Thursday. Luckily my bag was one of the few that DID make the flight, but Jade's was not. We headed to find Caitlin and Paul to figure out what to do next, and were greeted by their smiling faces and a hand drawn Amizade sign right outside. It took a while to figure out the bag situation so we didnt get on the road for our hour long trip to Kampala until about 5 am. I ended up sleeping almost the whole way, but was still plenty ready for bed when we got to the Verona Hotel. I have a single room here, but everyone else is in doubles. After unpacking pajamas and cleaning up the mess that was the result of my face soap opening all in my bag, bed was perfect.

     Woke up at 9 but went back to sleep until 11ish when we all met for a breakfast of eggs and toast and... pineapple with carrots? After breakfast we headed out to explore downtown Kampala, which seemed a lot like downtown Hohoe when I was in Ghana. Lots of street shops (including one playing a sing a long video playing- "Zacchaeus was a wee little man, and a wee little man was he!"), muddy roads, and crazy motorcycles and over-stuffed vans called dala dalas. We stopped at a supermarket for water then headed to a 'mall' where we window shopped until lunch at the food court. The mall was right next to a golf course (DAD!) so we watched a little while we waited for our food. It was a little surreal to be eating chicken tiki masala, mango lassi, falafel and steamed dumplings in the middle of an African mall, but leave it to the food court to have a little bit of everything. After lunch we made our way back to the hotel and are resting now before dinner and what is hopefully a calm and early night.

     Tomorrow we are set to begin the 8 hour ride down to Karagwe, Tanzania, but that may change based on what we decide about Jade's bag. I'm sure I'll let you know next time I have internet!

Airport Ramblings

     This post comes to you live from the hallowed halls (make that the well waxed terminals) of Washington Dulles International Airport. I should note that it's also being written (typed stream of consciousness and full of parenthetical statements) on my iPhone because I can't connect to the free wifi on my laptop. Talk about #firstworldproblems, I know. We (Courtney, one of my 4 fellow classmates, and I) are currently an hour and a half into our eight hour layover, waiting to meet our third traveler, Jade, and take our 12 hour flight to Istanbul. Then on to Uganda where we arrive at 3 AM Tuesday morning. Can you say jet lag?

      So far the day has been pretty uneventful: pancake smile at Eat N Park (the best), church and support from lots of friends (even better), final packing, updating my music collection (Jim Brickman, James Taylor, David Crowder Band... And Timeflies Tuesday) and then off to the airport. Besides burning the entire roof of my mouth off eating very subpar vegetable soup I have no complaints, and I'm hoping things continue to go as smoothly the rest of the journey.

      While hugging my mom goodbye today, she reminded me that I said back in April that it would be a miracle if I went on this trip. Today it's really no less true. Six months ago I thought I'd be in Switzerland, four months ago it looked like I'd be staying in Pittsburgh, and two months ago I almost started packing to go to Boston for the summer. But here I am: sitting cross-legged in a leather chair at gate B47, waiting to go to Istanbul, en route to Uganda and finally Tanzania. For as crazy (and potentially foolish) as that is there has to be a reason, right? So what is it? What am I going or do or see or learn these next 4 weeks? Jerry always says, "When God wants to teach you something he takes you on a trip." Well, here I go.

PS- Sorry this is boring, but not much has happened.
PPS- Airport sushi is less sketchy than it sounds. 
PPPS- The fire alarm just started going off? Hm... 

Keeping My Hopes High

     So theres been a slight change of plans. Now before those of you who know me well get too worried, that sounds more ominous than it actually is. Yes, I am STILL going to Africa in just over a week, but I will no longer be using this pre-departure post to tell you the itinerary for our 26 day trip. Why? Well two reasons actually.

     First of all, I don't really know the itinerary.  My Pittsburgh -> Washington, DC -> Istanbul, Turkey -> Entebbe, Uganda plane tickets give me the heads up regarding the 21 hours of flight time,  not to mention over 10 hours in layovers, but after that things get a little less certain. There is a sample itinerary on the Amizade Tanzania website, but even that is vague at best. All I know for sure is our two teachers, Caitlin and Paul, will be picking us up at the airport at 2 AM and taking it from there.

     The second reason I'm not using this entry to explain just what we'll be doing is because I don't want to be let down if plans are changed and experiences I've been looking forward to don't end up happening.  This disappointment from things playing out differently (ie. "worse") than I expected is something I try to avoid, because it can ruin what would otherwise be a perfectly good time. The best way I know to guard against this disappointment comes from a friend who always says, "Keep your hopes high and your expectations low." Theres nothing wrong with hoping to do great things- hey the 'hope' I had for going to Tanzania before it was a reality is part of what led me to make it happen- but I tend to think that expectations only set you up to be let down.

    That being said, and for those of you who didn't click that link above, here are some of the possible things I hope to be doing in the next month- my 'Tanzania Bucket List,' so to speak: 

1. Stand at the equator

2. Visit the Rwanda genocide museum

3. See the Kroghs at the new CMU campus (or my World Vision child, Delphine?) in Kigali

4. Visit the beach at Zanzibar

5. Go on an OVERNIGHT SAFARI IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SERENGETI 

6. Work with two local NGOs on a water harvesting initiative and women's employment issues

7. Volunteer in a local elementary school

8. Take (and eat what I make in) an African cooking class

     If all of these things happen I will be thrilled, but I'll really be content if even a few take place. I'm excited for the beautiful adventure that lies ahead, and can't wait to share more with you through pictures and posts as things unfold. There are, of course, some nerves, but I think thats probably to be expected with anything unknown. Here's hoping for a month of excitement, adventure, self discovery and much much more!

PS: One request for anyone who wants my undying love and affection. I would be eternally grateful for detailed notes of every glorious Michael Phelps/Ryan Lochte head-to-head race. Starts, flipturns, and finishes, please and  thank you! (extra points for wet washboard ab photo evidence...)

Little by Little

       A post extolling the uses of Pinterest was probably not the first thing you expected to read on a blog meant to chronicle my time spent in rural Tanzania.  Then again, I don’t plan to use words like ‘extolling’ all that often, so lets consider this entry unique and move on. Anyway, Pinterest is fantastic. I mean what else lets you pour through hundreds of thousands of images, each linking you to a recipe, party planning idea, outfit, comic or home renovation project that you can ‘pin’ and save for future use?  The hours slip by and you find yourself wondering how you could EVER have lived without knowing how to make kale chips or turn an old suitcase into a chair, and before you know it you’ve even planned your wedding! Now if only there were a groom in the picture… (It’s a website people, it can only do so much)

       I know, I know- you don’t see where I’m going with this, do you? Give me a minute and it’ll all make sense.  You see, two of my favorite pinboards are “Oh the places I’ll go,” where I’ve amassed over 100 images of places where I want to travel, and “Words to live by,” where I keep quotes, bible verses, and other sayings that inspire me.  Sometime during the library induced haze that is CMU midterm week, probably after realizing I want Kate Middleton’s closet (and, lets be honest, her brother-in-law) but before deciding my first apartment needs to be a loft with lots of light and exposed brick walls, an image caught my eye: 

        When I saw it, the only thing that struck me more than its message was the fact that it’s an old Tanzanian proverb. Since that day, its become somewhat of my mantra- encouragement to work toward goals I’ve established, to persevere when all hope seems lost, and to reevaluate what I label as success and give myself a little more grace.  I’ve come to appreciate that taking baby steps is still taking steps, and that sometimes baby steps are the only way to get to the end of a road.  In the past 6 months my summer plans have changed more than they’ve stayed the same, and at times I didn’t know if I would even be graduating this year or next.  My road looked a little less like Forbes Avenue and a little more like the ones we saw in Ghana, and stubbornly planting my feet seemed more comfortable than bouncing over the potholes. 

       But here I am a CMU graduate (after I get these 6 credits, that is), employed, and headed to Africa in just under two weeks.  I’m not one of those people who interprets a seemingly everyday event as “a sign,” and to be honest I find myself more often than not feeling like Jim Carrey’s character in Bruce Almighty just begging for a clue as to what to do in my life.  But for the past two or three months, I’ve felt completely and positively at peace with the way God has clearly had His hand in leading me to this place.  The acceptance date for Amizade was pushed back. I was able to attend and walk at graduation.  I was offered a part time job that gives me structure to my week (and commission to pay, among other things, for my $2200 plane ticket!). The list goes on and on, but my point is just that for once its so refreshingly obvious that these little, but amazing, things have added up to bring me where I am now.  I’m not saying I’m not nervous (because I am), and I’m not saying I don’t need to keep working on goals that I have for my health and participation in the program (because I do), but I am saying I feel more confident than ever that there exist these “plans to prosper you and not to harm you,” and for me they involve this trip.

        So there are only 5 of us in the trip? Not worried about it. I’m spending 26 days in East Africa with people I’ve never met? Great. My passport and Tanzanian visa have yet to be returned from the embassy in DC? OK, that one’s got me a little nervous… Oh well. I’m not sure how much internet access I’ll have during the 26 day trip, but I’ll blog (with pictures!) when I can.  I’ll also update you again before I go with a little more about the program itself, but in the meantime feel free to check out the  Amizade website here. Thanks in advance for all your support, thoughts, encouragement and prayers!